Chen Zihao, Li Na, Xi Caihua, He Jiaru, Zhu Jiejun, Wu Gang, Xia Jinzhao, Fei Chunlong, Sun Lei, Xu Hongzhi, Qiu Zhihai
Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Hengqin, Zhuhai, Guangdong 519031, P. R. China.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P. R. China.
Research (Wash D C). 2025 May 15;8:0709. doi: 10.34133/research.0709. eCollection 2025.
Bedside monitoring of brain function in severely brain-injured patients remains a critical clinical challenge. We demonstrate the translational potential of functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging for this purpose. In 6 comatose patients (Glasgow coma scale ≤ 8) with cranial windows after decompressive craniectomy, we used a 7.8-MHz transducer optimized for cortical depths of 1.5 to 4 cm to perform real-time fUS during auditory stimulation. We observed task-related increases in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in relevant brain regions ( < 0.001, test), which correlated with subsequent neurological recovery at 9-month follow-up. These findings establish fUS as a sensitive and portable tool for bedside brain function assessment, offering potential for improved prognostication, treatment guidance, and development of targeted rehabilitative strategies.
对重度脑损伤患者进行床边脑功能监测仍然是一项严峻的临床挑战。我们展示了功能超声（fUS）成像在此方面的转化潜力。在6例减压颅骨切除术后有颅骨视窗的昏迷患者（格拉斯哥昏迷量表≤8）中，我们使用了一个针对1.5至4厘米皮质深度优化的7.8兆赫换能器，在听觉刺激期间进行实时fUS检查。我们观察到相关脑区的局部脑血流量（rCBF）出现与任务相关的增加（<0.001，检验），这与9个月随访时的后续神经功能恢复相关。这些发现确立了fUS作为一种用于床边脑功能评估的灵敏且便携的工具，为改善预后、治疗指导以及制定有针对性的康复策略提供了潜力。
